Back when I was a journalist covering sports in the Southeast US, I’d always get a really wide range of assignments. My favorites, however, were the ones that involved a bunch of different sources in one place. All I had to do was show up and my job was suddenly easier. I was going to them, right where they were. Half of my work was done for me.

Think of Twitter in the same light. Millions of people are there already. Instead of trying to get people to come to you through old forms of marketing and advertising, you can go directly to them. That’s half your work right there.

The other half of using Twitter for your business is working smart and using the various tools available to you. I watched a great video the other day from Christopher Reid that really put into simple terms the power of Twitter as a marketing and lead generating tool.

Basically, Reid pointed out the power of Twitter search to find potential customers. Using various search terms based on the hypothetical services a business can offer, Reid shows precisely why you, as a business, should be on Twitter.

Think of it this way: Imagine a world where people would stand out on the street, just shouting the products or services they need. For instance, to use one of Reid’s examples from his video, let’s say you’re a printer looking for business on Twitter. Go to Twitter search and type in something like “get business cards printed” and hit “Search.” You’ll find results that will likely have your mouse finger twitching with anticipation. In front of you will be potentially hundreds of tweets from people looking to get business cards printed up.

Imagine if you’re able to harness this type of lead generation and really turn it into actual sales from actual customers. Imagine if you’re able to go right to the exact people you could best serve. How much would your total sales go up? 10 percent? 15 percent? Maybe 20? It’s really up to you.

As a side note, however, it’s important — as Reid mentions in his video — not to spam the people you’re trying to help. There’s a precise way to go about making a connection on Twitter, and it doesn’t involve being overbearing. Remember, just making the connection and building trust is much more effective than sending out links to your Web page right away.

Being on Twitter means that you have a virtually unlimited supply of people who could potentially need your help. They’re right there, just waiting for answers. All you have to do is be smart enough to show up and use the tools available to you.